Sheet-metal wheel.



H. AUSTIN.

SHEET METAL WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1912.

1 ,07 1 ,684. Patented Sept. 2, 1913 tool having HERBERT AUSTIN, 0F BROMSGROVE, ENGLAND.

SHEET-METAL WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2,15313.

Application filed April 20-, 1912. Serial No. 692,040.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT AUSTIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at Bromsgrove, in the county of Worcester, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal W heels, of which the following is a specification.

Thls invention has for its object improvements in wheels which are mainly built up of sheet metal segments which follow one another around the axis of the wheel. Describing, in general terms, the preferred method of constructing such a wheel, according to this invention, a number of seg ments are formed each from a sheet metal blank and each segment comprises, halves of two adjacent tubular spokes, the metal for the portion of the felly which connects them, and, conveniently, shaped inner ends of the spokes which when the spokes are put together form in effect a nave, and these segments are puttogether and then the meeting surfaces, which consist simply of edges of the sheet metal, are connected, for instance by weldin (such as by the acetylene process) or razing, but preferably sheet metal transverse diaphragms are placed between the meeting edges and welded thereto, thus affording considerable additional strength to' the structure. A sheet or thin plate metal rim is formed as a continuous hoop and is adapted, either by itself or with additions, to receive and hold a )neumatic tire, and the felly, portions of w iich are formed with the segments aforesaid, is adapted to receive the rim and be secured thereto, welding being convenieIItl y resorted to in fixing the telly and rim t0- gether. The nave of the wheel, which is conveniently formed by.the inner ends of the segments, is strengthened, such as by a strong hoop or ring. A sheet metal blank for the formation of a segment may be first bent to shape by hand to insert it'within tools which are to fully shape the segment, or so far as may be previously therim. The middle portion is then placed over a fixed die which is of a shape to ive the required formation of the metal w en the same has been pressed therearound, this an upper portion which is curved to the required curve of the felly and is grooved to give any hollow formation of thefelly, as seen in cross-section thereof, which may be required at this stage, and is -Fig. 7 IS a section to applying moved so that the segment may itself be removed.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will now describe a convenient practical application thereof which is illustrated, by way of example, by the drawings herewith, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel constructed according to this in vention. irregular line at w of Fig. 1, show the sectional outlines of a spoke at the outer and inner ends thereof, respectively. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which a segment is to be formed. Fig. 5 is a detached plan view of the fixed tool hereinafter described, showing the blank, which has been initially bent, in position prior to being acted upon by the movable tools, hereinafter described. Fig. 6 is a plan view of Figs. 3 and 3 a set of tools within which the blank is formed to the shape required for a segment.

of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3*, inclusive each segment, which is formed in one piece of sheet metal, consists of'a length of felly A and two half spokes A which are formed at their inner ends to constitute portions A of the nave. The felly portion is formed to a shape in section such as shown by Fig.

2, but with margins of the sides thereof to the shape shown by broken lines, instead of bent as shown by full lines, and the segments are put together within a metal rim C which. is formed as a continuous hoop, and then the margins which are shown by broken lines are spun in against the rim, thereby completing the formation of the folly. This rim bears around shouldered portions 0 of the folly, and the sides 0 of the felly fit against the sides of the rim. The particular rim illustrated corresponds with the rim described in the specification filed with my application for patent Serial No. 679,821-,b1it

taken on line a2 m of Fig. 6. and; Fig. 8 1s a section on llne g 3/ Fig. 2 1s a section taken on theit may be of any desired formation as will l Giving a be readily understood. The radiating lines a indicate the sides of a segment, and the radiatinglines a indicate the division between the inner ends of the two halt spokes of a segment, and when all the segments have been put together with the rim sin-rounding them, the meeting edges of the half spokes of the respective se ments and the meeting edges of the spokes of each segment may be welded together, such as by the acetylene welding process, and the edges of the sides of the folly welded to the rim, and, it desired, the sides of the telly spot-welded to the rim. it is preferred, however, that diaphragms a shall be inserted between the meetin edges of the respective segments, and diaphragms a be inserted between the meeting edges of the spokes of each segn'ient, whereby considerable additional strength is imparted to the structure. Preferably, portions a of the diaphragms, which lie within the hollows of the spokes, and within the hollow of the nave which is formed by the inner ends of the spokes, are cut at their outer ends and bulged out so to leave j shoulders against the inner faces of the sheet metal of the segments and facilitate putting the parts together and keeping them in place while welding, the portions of the metal of the diaphragm which come between the meeting edges or" the sheet metal. being left quite plain. The nave of the wheel is strengthened by a channel-shaped hoop D, which is formed in halves and inserted into the central opening from opposite sides of the nave, the halves butting together within the nave and the flanges (Z coming against the sides of the nave. This hoop is fixed in place by means of rivets d which pass through ferrules (Z which themselves pass through holes formed through opposite sides of the nave and butt at either end against the inner sides of the respective flanges of the hoop. The butting edges of the halves of the hoop may be welded together, and the joint between theedges of the flanges (i and the sheet metal nave may be welded or soldered. Prior to putting the hoop D in place, a plain sheet metal hoop a may be placed in position to close in the inner ends of the segments and be welded to their inner edges.

In the sections of the spokes shown by Figs. 3 and 3, the fuller ends of the sections are intended to be at the inner side of the wheel, for the sake of neatness of appear' ance;.but although the sections shown are convenient, they are not, of course, at all es sential.

The blank B shown by Fig. i is of the shape required to form the segments shown by Figs. 1 and 2, but the exact shape of the blank will, of course, depend on the exact shape which a segment is required to be.

general idea of the character of the blank, it has a middle portion 6 which is of a uniform width to produce the required trough or hollow formation of the telly, suddenly widened-out portions 6' at the ends of the middle portion to provide metal for the curved formation between the ends of the half spokes and the folly,

to avoid sharp angles, with narrower widths of metal 5 beyond to form the half spokes, and with widened-out ends bflhaving notches I) cut into the ends thereof, to form the inner ends of the half spokes and adapt them to tit against adjacent half spokes, (or against diaphragms), and insure that the set of spokes will together form, at their inner ends, a nave of neat appearance, such as of the character usual with sheet metal wheels.

The set of tools shown by Figs. 6, 7 and 8, are carried upon a suitable bed E, and comprise a fixed tool F which is formed with a curved end f the surface of which is adapted to shape the metal to the required cross-section of the telly, prior to margins oi metal thereof being spun in against the rim, and with inclined sides f which are adapted to form the two half spokes of the section. The blank is first bent, such as by hand, to shape in side elevation shown by the thick line B Fig. 5, and is then placed over the tool F (which is shown detached by Fig. 5), having the relation thereto shown by such figure. The tool G is then brought against the middle of the blank and forces metal thereof into the shape, as seen in transverse section, of the end i of the tool F, and then two tools H are forced against the metal which extends from each side of the tool G and shape the curved angles of the required segment, and then two tools J, at opposite sides of the tool F, are forced up and press the portions of the :metal for the half spokes into the hollows of the sides of the tool F and complete the' shape of the half spokes, with the corresponding portions of the nave, contour of the segment then being of the shape shown by the broken line 1". Pockets e are formed in the base E to receive portions of the metal of the blank in placing it in position or. during the movement of metal under the operation of the tools. Substantially the outer half of the tool F is divided from the inner half, and, when the blank has been shaped by the tools, the moving tools are moved back from the fixed tool, and the outer half of'the tool F is unbolted from the inner half and removed to allow of the removal of the segment. When the spokes are of egg-shape in section, the division of the outer half of the tool F from the inner half shows a line f which corresponds with the length ofa spoke between a point from near the telly to a point which is near the inner the nave and which is in adiflerent plane to portion of the telly which connects the the, other portions of the division In order outer ends of such half spokes together, and

that such portion of the division shall be in the portion, divided into'halves, of the nave, 40

"the plane of the greatest transverse diameinto which such half spokes join, the inner ter of the section of the spokes. The con ends of the half spokes being of a shape structio-n and operation of these tools will which forms said divided portions of the be readily understood by a person skilled in nave, diaphragm's in position. between the the art of sheet metal working. segments, and the segments and diaphragms Having fully described myinvention, held together by welding or brazing. what I claim and desire tosecure by Let- 3. Ina sheet metal wheel, a felly of conters Patent, is: tinuous unbroken trough section which runs 1. In a sheet metal wheel, a folly of .concompletely around the wheel, a nave, and tinuous unbroken trough section which runs hollow spokes connecting the felly'and the 5 completely around the wheel, a nave, and nave, :the said felly, the main portion of the hollow spokes connecting the folly and the nave, and the spokes," being made up of a nave, the said felly, the main portion of the number of segments, each of a single .piece nave, and the spokes, being made up of a of sheet metal, andea'ch segment comprisnumber of segments, each of a single piece ing two hollow half spokes which have their of sheet metal, and each segment comprising openv sides away from one another, the portwo hollow half spokes, the portion of the tion of the felly which connects the outer felly which connects the outer ends of such ends of such half spokes together, and the half spokes together, and the portion, diportion, dividedinto halves, of the nave,

vided into halves, of the nave, into which into which such half spokes join, diasuch half spokes join, and the inner ends of phragins in position between the segments, said divided portions of the nave and the out and bulged-out portions of the diasegments themselves held together along phragms which butt against the interior I their meeting edges by welding or brazing. surfaces of the segments, and the segments 2. In a short metal wheel, a 'felly of conand diaphragms held together by welding tinuous unbroken trough section which or brazing.

runs completely around the wheel, a nave, In witness whereof I have hereunto signed and hollow spokes connecting the felly and my name this 10th day of April 1912 in the of a number of segments, each of a single the nave, the said felly, the main portion presence of two subscribing witnesses. of the nave, and the spokes, being made:up HERBERT AUSTIN I piece of sheet metal, and each segment com- Witnesses:

prising two hollow half spokes which have Ermnsr PARKER, their open sides away from one another, the Ronnnr G. GROVES. 

